If there is one thing all humans have in common its a love for food. Ok, maybe Alley McBeal can go without, but I like a good steak and potato! Humanity's love for food can be demonstrated quite well on the Net. There are hundreds if not thousands of Web pages devoted to food stuff, especially on how to prepare it. So this week, for those of you who want to impress that special someone, or need a special idea on how to win a heart through the stomach, we will look at some great food related Web sites.
Bon appetite!
The Solar Cooking Archive
solarcooking.org/
If you are trying to win the hearts of an environmentalist, why not cook him/her a meal using solar energy. That ought to impress!
Here at the Solar Cooking site, there is a great page on how to make your own collapsible solar cooker from two cardboard boxes (see, you're recycling too).
This site describes various types of solar cookers, and has a section on solar news. You can participate in discussions, and locate the manufacturers of commercial solar cookers. A newsletter called 'Solar Cooker Review' can be read along with access to past issues. If you're not quite sure what solar cooking is about, there is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document that will explain everything.
KitchenLink.com
www.kitchenlink.com/
If you thought I was kidding about lots of cooking Web sites, try this one. It has a link to over 10,000 cooking sites on the Net.
You can find a recipe, a cooking school, a cooking book review, read columns about cooking, join in cooking discussions, and more and more.
Punch in your zip code and download money saving coupons. This week there was $71 worth of savings from Grand Union. You can delete baby or pet items if you like, then print the page which is bar coded. Hand it to the nice clerk before you check out and she or he will scan the savings in. Very nice. There are other free items too like catalogs, and other offers.
There are reviews for cooking items like bread makers, crock pots and the like. There are daily recipe swaps, or you can search their archives.
One of the best features is the 'surf for your supper.' This page presents a daily menu planner for you. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner meals complete with recipes. So if you are really lazy, or at a memory loss, use this each day for a complete easy to use master cuisine.
If you go to their page at www.kitchenlink.com/cgi/public_frames?page=faqs
It contains a listing of conversion calculators, cooking tips, consumer information, and even food folklore. A food history section is fascinating reading including the complete edition of the 1866 National Cookbook online.
The Master-Tech Homepage
www.masterstech-home.com/
While this site is more of a virtual architects page with a floor plan of a house, visit the kitchen. It lists most of the Usenet newsgroups that deal with cooking.
Usenet is a distributed news service that is older than the Internet and consists of public discussions called newsgroups. You subscribe to them (free) and then read and participate. It is a good service to stay on top of current events and specialized topics like this one.
This list of all the cooking newsgroups is live-linked, so if your newsreader is set up to grab newsgroups from your ISP (I use Microsoft Outlook Express), just click on the newsgroup of your choice and read.
Be wary of some of the non-moderated newsgroups. They tend to get off topic. Moderated newsgroups are more focused since you cannot post to the newsgroup yourself. You send your request or comment to the moderator and he or she posts it only if deemed appropriate.
Kids Cooking Corner
www.kidscookingcorner.com/
We can't leave out the kids. Kids love to be like mommy and daddy and help prepare the meals (or in the case of my two year son, 'experiment').
This site contains recipes the kids can make, but it also has cooking secrets, jokes, and links to other kid safe Web sites. They have an email autoresponder that will send you a notice when the page is updated.
Cooking Articles
www.masterstech home.com/The_Kitchen/Articles/TheCookingArticles.html
This site contains about 50 general articles on cooking from a history of chocolate to Wok cooking tips. Many of the articles are good introductions for the cooking novice.
Cooking Dictionary
www.cafecreosote.com/Dictionary.html
Finally, if you don't know what Cannellini Beans or Ramekins are, check out the cooking dictionary. A complete listing from A to Z defines all the cooking terms you are likely to encounter even when reading that 100 year old National Cookbook.